1. Field of the Invention
The present invention has to do with reduced calorie snacks prepared by frying in a reduced calorie fat replacement composition. More specifically, the invention relates to fried snacks wherein some or all of the oil conventionally used in frying has been replaced by a fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin composition. The snacks exhibit a unique cooling sensation when placed in the mouth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fried snacks, such as potato and corn chips, are typically fried in liquid or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These include soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, peanut, safflower and partially hydrogenated soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn and sunflower oils. The oils impart a pleasant fried flavor to snack products as well as an oily/greasy texture. Solid fats are not used in the preparation of fried snacks because the high level of absorbed oil in the fried product, generally from about 25% to about 45% by weight, would result in a waxy mouthfeel upon consumption.
Fat replacement compositions which have been developed for use in low calorie fat-containing foods are known. An early development employing sugar fatty acid ester compositions is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,186, and the compositions are said to be suitable for use in frying eggs, meat, fish, potatoes and the like.
The use of sucrose polyesters as fat replacement compositions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,664 in foods described as having blood cholesterol lowering properties but they are not suggested as a substitute for the oils normally used in frying.
In European Patent Application 0 236 288, low calorie fat materials are described which include sugar fatty acid polyesters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters and tricarboxylic acids esterified with fatty alcohols. The materials are said to be useful in a wide variety of food products, including fried farinaceous snack foods such as potato chips, corn chips and the like. Polyol polyesters and their use in shortenings and foods also are described in European Patent Specification 0 290 420. The polyesters are said to be useful to make foods which are fried in oil including fried farinaceous and/or salted snack foods.
All of the low calorie fat replacement compositions discussed above have drawbacks either in the processes of their use or the flavor and mouthfeel characteristics of the reduced fat products which employ them.
Reduced calorie food compositions containing fat-type organoleptic ingredients are known wherein an esterified epoxide-extended polyol is employed as a full or partial replacement for vegetable oils and fats. Fat substitutes of this type are disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 4,861,613 to White et al. (referred to herein as "White" and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). However, it has not heretofore been known that such substances can be used to make fried snack foods having a perceptible cooling sensation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,486 describes a shortbread which is said to have a perceptible cooling sensation. The shortbread contains confectioners' sugar and fats bearing long, saturated C.sub.16 to C.sub.22 fatty acid residues and a mixture of short C.sub.2 to C , acid residues, a portion of which are propionic acid residues. A preferred embodiment contains residues of fatty acids derived from fully hydrogenated oils containing at least about 75% stearic acid.
It has now been found that certain fatty acid-esterified propoxylated glycerin compositions can be employed as a substitute for some or all of the fat used to prepare fried snack foods such as potato chips and corn chips to make fried snacks having a perceptible cooling sensation when placed in the mouth.
In the present specification and claims, all parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.